Electrolysis electrode featuring metal-doped nanotube array and methods of manufacture and using same

ABSTRACT

An electrolysis electrode includes a metal-doped array of nanotubes formed on a substrate. The nanotube array (NTA) may be a stabilized metal-doped black TiO 2  NTA formed on a titanium substrate, and the metal dopant may include any suitable metal, for example, cobalt. The metal dopant improves the reactivity of the electrode and enhances its service life. The metal-doped NTA electrode may provide improved chlorine evolution and/or oxygen evolution activity for electrochemical wastewater treatment. The electrode may also be useful for water splitting applications. Increasing the loading of the metal dopant may lead to the formation of a metal oxide layer on top of the NTA, which improves oxygen evolution reaction (OER) overpotential.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/545,024, filed on Aug. 14, 2017, the disclosuresof which are incorporated by reference herein in the entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to electrolysis, and moreparticularly, to electrodes suitable for water treatment and/or watersplitting electrolysis.

BACKGROUND

Systems are being proposed for the electrochemical oxidation ofpollutants in an electrolyte. Examples of these systems includewastewater treatment systems that employ electrolysis to cleanwastewater. Electrolysis may also be used in other applications, forexample, splitting water to produce oxygen and hydrogen gas. Theseelectrolysis systems operate by applying a voltage potential between ananode and a cathode that are each in contact with a water medium. In thecase of wastewater treatment, the anode and cathode contact wastewaterto achieve electrochemical oxidation of organic matter.

The electrodes (anodes and cathodes) in these systems sometimes have oneor more semiconductor materials that contact the aqueous medium. Thesemiconductor electrodes are often composed of expensive rare earthmaterials. Moreover, the semiconductor materials often degraderelatively quickly during operation of the systems, reducing the servicelife of the electrodes.

Further, the ability of some of the electrodes to purify water dependson the ability of the anode to generate Reactive Chlorine Species (RCS)and/or hydroxyl radicals in the water. However, some known electrodesgenerate reactive species at current efficiencies that are too low to bedesirable for some wastewater treatment applications.

Accordingly, electrolysis electrodes are desirable that have improvedreactive species generation, service life and current efficiency, aswell as reduced cost.

SUMMARY

An electrolysis electrode includes a metal-doped array of nanotubes on asubstrate. In accordance with an example embodiment, the nanotube array(NTA) may be a stabilized metal-doped black TiO₂ NTA formed on atitanium substrate, and the metal dopant may include any suitable metal,for example, cobalt. The metal dopant improves the reactivity of theelectrode and significantly extends its service life. The metal-dopedNTA electrode may provide improved chlorine evolution and/or oxygenevolution activity for electrochemical wastewater treatment. Theelectrode may also be useful for water splitting applications.

The metal-doped NTA electrode may be manufactured by anodizing asubstrate to form an amorphous NTA on the substrate. The amorphous NTAand substrate structure is then subjected to a second anodization. Ametal-dopant solution is applied to the anodized amorphous NTA, wherebyproducing a metal-doped amorphous NTA. The metal-doped amorphous NTA isthen annealed in a gas stream, resulting in the metal-doped NTAelectrode.

The metal-doped NTA electrode can be used as an electrocatalyst in watersplitting systems for energy production, or alternatively, inelectrochemical oxidation (EO) systems that purify water having organicpollutants and/or ammonia by placing it in direct physical contact withthe wastewater and applying a suitable voltage potential.

The disclosure also describes a water processing system including one ormore electrodes where at least one of the electrodes includes ametal-doped array of nanotubes formed on a substrate.

The foregoing summary does not define the limits of the appended claims.Other aspects, embodiments, features, and advantages will be or willbecome apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of thefollowing figures and detailed description. It is intended that all suchadditional features, embodiments, aspects, and advantages be includedwithin this description and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

It is to be understood that the drawings are solely for purpose ofillustration and do not define the limits of the appended claims.Furthermore, the components in the figures are not necessarily to scale.In the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the different views.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side-view schematic illustration of a firstexemplary electrolysis system employing a disclosed electrode.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side-view schematic illustration of a secondexemplary electrolysis system employing two or more of the electrodes.

FIG. 3 illustrates a third exemplary electrolysis system such as acontinuous water treatment system.

FIG. 4 is a process flow diagram illustrating methods of manufacturingone or more types of the NTA electrodes disclosed herein.

FIG. 5 is a schematic conceptual cross-sectional view showing electronflow through a Co-black nanotube, which may be included in any of theNTA electrodes of FIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 6 is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the top surfaceof an exemplary co-amorphous NTA produced from a process depicted byFIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the top surfaceof an exemplary Co-black NTA electrode resulting from a process depictedby FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) perspective image of anexemplary Co-black NTA resulting from a process depicted by FIG. 4 andincludable in the Co-black NTA electrodes disclosed herein.

FIGS. 9A-B are graphs comparing experimental results of wastewatertreatment using a disclosed Co-black NTA electrode and prior electrodes.

FIGS. 10A-C are graphs of example experimental results comparing certainradical species generation during electrolysis using disclosed Co-blackNTA electrodes and prior electrodes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description, which references to and incorporatesthe drawings, describes and illustrates one or more examples ofelectrolysis electrodes, water processing systems, and methods of usingelectrolysis electrodes and water processing systems, and ofmanufacturing electrolysis electrodes. These examples, offered not tolimit but only to exemplify and teach embodiments of inventiveelectrodes, methods, and systems, are shown and described in sufficientdetail to enable those skilled in the art to practice what is claimed.Thus, where appropriate to avoid obscuring the invention, thedescription may omit certain information known to those of skill in theart. The disclosures herein are examples that should not be read tounduly limit the scope of any patent claims that may eventual be grantedbased on this application.

The word “exemplary” is used throughout this application to mean“serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any system, method,device, technique, feature or the like described herein as “exemplary”is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous overother features.

As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singularforms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the contentclearly dictates otherwise.

Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to thosedescribed herein can be used in the practice or testing of theinvention(s), specific examples of appropriate materials and methods aredescribed herein.

Also, the use of “or” means “and/or” unless stated otherwise. Similarly,“comprise,” “comprises,” “comprising” “include,” “includes,” and“including” are interchangeable and not intended to be limiting.

It is to be further understood that where descriptions of variousembodiments use the term “comprising,” those skilled in the art wouldunderstand that in some specific instances, an embodiment can bealternatively described using language “consisting essentially of” or“consisting of.”

Disclosed herein are one or more embodiments of an electrolysiselectrode that may be useful for treating polluted water and/or watersplitting applications that produce hydrogen and oxygen gas (e.g., solarhydrogen energy production).

Concerning water treatment applications, water scarcity has beenrecognized as an emerging global crisis. In order to facilitate waterrecycling and reuse, decentralized wastewater treatment has beenproposed as a supplement to the conventional urban wastewater system. Indecentralized systems, electrochemical oxidation (EO) can be moreefficient than biological treatment and less expensive than homogeneousadvanced oxidation processes. In addition, the compact design, ease ofautomation for remote controlled operation, and small carbon footprintmake EO an ideal candidate for small scale, decentralized wastewatertreatment and reuse.

The performance of EO in wastewater applications is often determined bythe electrochemical generation of reactive species, which largelydepends on the nature of anode materials. A number of anode materialshave been previously considered. For example, non-active anodes withhigh overpotentials for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), such as thosebased on SnO₂, PbO₂, and boron-doped diamond (BDD), have beeninvestigated in the previous decades. In spite of their superior currentefficiency for hydroxyl radical (.OH) generation, SnO₂ and PbO₂ anodeshave poor conductivity and stability. The application of BDD anodes ishindered by their high cost and complicated fabrication. Conversely,Pt-group metal oxides (e.g., RuO₂ and IrO₂) are efficient and stablecatalysts for OER, exhibiting high chlorine evolution reaction (CER)activity in the presence of chloride, although they are typically lessefficient for hydroxyl radical generation. Hence, the development ofdurable anodes with high activity for CER, OER, and radical generationis an ongoing challenge.

Electrolyte composition is another factor in EO performance. Previously,.OH was considered as the main contributor to organic matter removalduring EO. Recent studies have pointed out that carbonate, sulfate andphosphate radicals are also potent oxidants. Compared with these anions,chloride (Cl—) in wastewater can be more readily oxidized to reactivechlorine species. Enhanced electrochemical oxidation of organiccompounds observed in the presence of Cl— has been attributed toreaction with free chlorine (Cl₂, HOCl and OCl⁻. More recent studieshave suggested that Cl. and Cl₂.⁻ might be primarily responsible fororganic compound degradation. Thus, an anode that promotes efficientgeneration of chlorine radicals may be desirable.

Applications of electrochemical wastewater treatment can be hindered byseveral challenges, which may include: 1) relatively high energyconsumption costs per kilogram of chemical oxygen demand (COD) treatedin units of kWh/kg of COD, depending on the composition of theelectrodes; and 2) the relatively high cost of semiconductor electrodesdue to the use of platinum group metals as the primary ohmic contactmaterials for transfer of electrons to the base metal.

Considering each of these challenges more specifically, the energyconsumption of EO wastewater treatment processes (50-1000 kWh/kg COD)may be higher than aerobic biological treatment (3 kWh/kg COD; assuming320 g/m³ of inlet COD, 50% of removal efficiency, and 0.45 kWh/m³ ofenergy consumption per volume). Electrolysis of chloride-containingwastewater produces chlorination byproducts such as chlorate (ClO₃ ⁻)and perchlorate (ClO₄ ⁻). Anodes operating at higher oxidative levelsare often able to eliminate organic compound byproducts at longerreaction times, however with the tradeoff of higher yields of ClO₃ ⁻ andClO₄ ⁻. Currently available electrodes are relatively expensive due tothe need to provide a low Schottky-barrier semiconductor in directcontact with the base-metal support of the electrode. For activeelectrodes, IrO₂ or RuO₂ are employed as ohmic contacts, and fornominally inactive electrodes, boron-doped diamond electrodes (BDD) areemployed.

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) has been recognized as a stable and reusablephotocatalyst for water splitting and water treatment applications.However, it is an inefficient anode material in the absence ofphotoactivation due to its low electron conductivity. To overcome thislimitation, conductive TiO₂ nanotube array electrodes have beendeveloped that may be used in “dark” applications that do not rely onphotoactivation. Even though TiO₂ nanotube arrays are effective forelectrochemical oxidation initially, premature failure by deactivationis often observed within a few hours.

To address the foregoing limitations, an electrolysis electrodefeaturing a metal-doped nanotube array (NTA) is disclosed. The NTAelectrode may include a cobalt-doped black-TiO₂ nanotube array (Co-blackNTA). The metal dopants may be immobilized on the surface of the blackNTA to improve water oxidation activity and reduce or prevent surfacepassivation. The disclosed metal-doped NTA electrode can be applied inwater splitting and/or EO wastewater treatment systems, as describedherein.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a first exemplary waterelectrolysis system 8 that includes a vessel 10 for holding an aqueousmedium 18 such as water, a first electrode (electrode 1) 14 and secondelectrode (electrode 2) 16 for use in electrolysis, and a voltage source38 for providing current to the electrodes 14, 16. For the purposes ofsimplification, only a pair of electrodes 14, 16 are illustrated,although additional electrodes can be employed.

In the system 8, the first electrode 14 includes a substrate 30 and ametal-doped nanotube array (NTA) 31 having a bottom surface contactingthe substrate 30. Examples of the detailed construction of the electrode14 are described herein with reference to the other Figures. The metaldopant added to the NTA improves the performance and service life of theelectrode 14 in electrolysis applications. The second electrode 16 canbe a metal base, such as a stainless steel or platinum cathode.

The vessel 10 can be any suitable container for holding the medium 18,for example, it may be a metal, plastic or glass vessel.

The system 8 can be used for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygengas. This application may be useful for producing hydrogen gas forenergy production.

Alternatively, the system 8 may be used to purify water having organicmatters by making use of advanced oxidation processes (AOP) to breakorganic matters into small and stable molecules, such as water and CO₂.Wastewater may include the organic matters that are normally associatedwith waste products and chloride that is naturally present in urine.Accordingly, wastewater can naturally operate as electrolytic medium, oran electrolyte, such as NaCl, can optionally be added to the wastewater.

The system 8 can operate in a monopolar (MP mode) or a bipolar (BP)mode. In MP mode, the voltage source 38 provides continuous currentbetween the electrodes 14, 16 in one direction and does not switchvoltage polarity (reverse the direction of the current flow through theelectrodes 14, 16). In the example shown in FIG. 1, in MP mode the firstelectrode 14 acts as an anode and the second electrode 16 acts as acathode.

In BP mode, each of the electrodes 14, 16 can act as either an anode ora cathode, alternatively, depending on the polarity of the voltagesource 38. Operating the system 8 in BP mode can increase the servicelife and improve the performance of the electrodes 14, 16.

In BP mode, the voltage source 38 can switch polarity at a set frequencyso that the electrodes 14, 16 are alternatively employed as both anodeand cathode. Switching the polarity of the source 38 can be accomplishedby a timed switch (not shown) in the source 38 that changes the outputvoltage polarity of the source 38 at set times. For example, theelectrodes 14, 16 can be employed as both anode and cathode with sourcepolarity switching at an interval having a length between 10 and 30minutes.

The nanotube array 31 can include, consist of, or consist essentially ofany suitable number of nanotubes and a metal oxide that includes,consist of, or consist essentially of oxygen and one or more elements,e.g., titanium. For example, the NTA may be a black TiO₂ nanotube array(BNTA). In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the electrode 14,the metal-doped NTA 31 may include a cobalt-doped black TiO₂ nanotubearray (Co-black NTA) and the substrate 30 may be a valve metal, such astitanium, for example, Ti foil or mesh.

During operation of the water purification system 8, the source 38applies an anodic potential 38 between the first electrode 14 and thesecond electrode 16 at a level that is sufficient to generate reactivespecies at the electrode 14, while performing as an anode.

The electrode 14 has a relatively high rate of Reactive Chlorine Species(RCS) generation and/or oxygen evolution reaction (OER). This makes theelectrode 14 highly suitable for use in wastewater electrolysis systemsand/or water splitting systems.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a second exemplary waterelectrolysis system 21 that includes the vessel 10 for holding theaqueous medium 18 such as water, the first electrode (electrode 1) 14and second electrode (electrode 2) 19 for use in electrolysis, and thevoltage source 38 for providing current to the electrodes 14, 19. Forthe purposes of simplification, only a pair of electrodes 14, 19 areillustrated, although additional electrodes can be employed.

The system 21 may be used for either water splitting or waterpurification, as discussed above in connection with FIG. 1.Additionally, the system 21, like the system 8 shown in FIG. 1, may beconfigured as either a BP mode system or MP mode system, depending onthe application. The predominate difference between the systems 8 and 21is that the second system 21 includes a metal-doped NTA electrode 19 asthe second electrode. The second electrode 19 includes a substrate 23and a metal-doped nanotube array (NTA) 33 contacting the substrate 23,which may be the same as or similar to the NTA 31 of the first electrode14. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the electrode 19, themetal-doped NTA 33 may include a cobalt-doped black TiO₂ nanotube array(Co-black NTA) and the substrate 23 may be a valve metal, such astitanium, for example a Ti foil or mesh.

In BP mode, each of the electrodes 14, 19 can act as either an anode ora cathode, alternatively, depending on the polarity of the voltagesource 38. Operating the system 21 in BP mode can increase the servicelife and improve the performance of the electrodes 14, 19. In BP mode,the system 21 also has at least one metal-doped NTA electrode 14, 19 inan anodic state at all time while the voltage potential is applied,increasing the reaction rate of the system 21.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of another suitable electrolysis system15, such as a water purification system, or alternatively, a watersplitting system, that includes multiple first electrodes 14 and secondelectrodes 16. The system 15 includes a vessel 10 having a reservoir.First electrodes 14 and second electrodes 16 are positioned in thereservoir such that first electrodes 14 and second electrodes 16alternate with one another. The first electrodes 14 and secondelectrodes 16 are parallel or substantially parallel with one another.An aqueous medium 18 is positioned in the reservoir such that firstelectrodes 14 and the second electrodes 16 are in contact with themedium 18.

In some embodiments, the medium 18 may include one or more electrolytesand can be a liquid, a solution, a suspension, or a mixture of liquidsand solids. In one example, the medium 18 is wastewater that includesorganic matters, ammonia, and chloride (Cl⁻). The chloride can bepresent in the medium 18 as a result of adding a salt to the medium 18or the medium 18 can include urine that is a natural source of thechloride. The electrolysis system 15 also includes a voltage source (notshown) configured to drive an electrical current through the firstelectrodes 14 and second electrodes 16 so as to drive a chemicalreaction in the medium 18. The system 15 can operate in MP mode oralternatively in BP mode.

The electrolysis system 15 illustrated in FIG. 3 includes an inlet 20and an outlet 22. The electrolysis system 15 can operate as a continuousreactor in that the medium 18 flows into the reservoir through the inlet20 and out of the reservoir through the outlet 22. Alternately, theelectrolysis system can also be operated as a batch reactor. When theelectrolysis system 15 is operated as a batch reactor, the medium 18 canbe a solid, a liquid, or a combination.

In an alternative configuration of the system 15, at least some of thesecond electrodes 16 may include the metal-doped NTA electrode 19,instead of the metal base electrode 16.

In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the systems 8, 15, 21, theaqueous medium 18 may have a pH>7.

Any of the systems 8, 15, 21 may be employed for efficient continuousremoval of one or more contaminants, which contaminants may includepharmaceuticals, biological matter, biocides such as herbicides,pesticides and fungicides, human or animal waste, pathogeniccontaminants such as viruses, bacteria or parasites, chemical pollutantssuch as PCBs, TCEs, phthalates, or the like, semiconductor manufacturingwastewater which may contain contaminants such asperfluoroalkylsulfonate surfactants (PFAS), tetramethylammoniumhydroxide (TMAH), and/or residual photopolymers, any combination of theforegoing, and the like.

FIG. 4 is a process flow diagram 40 illustrating example methods ofmanufacturing one or more types of the NTA electrodes disclosed herein,which may be used in any of the systems shown in FIGS. 1-3.

First, a titanium substrate (e.g., Ti foil, plate, mesh or the like) isprovided (box 41). For example, the Ti substrate may be a Ti plate or Timesh. Next, as shown by box 42, an amorphous TiO₂ NTA (Am-NTA) electrodemay be prepared by a first anodization of the Ti substrate at 42 Voltsin ethylene glycol (EG) electrolyte with 0.25 wt % NH₄F and 2 wt % H₂Ofor 3 to 6 hours. After the first anodization, the Am-NTA formed on thesubstrate is subjected to second anodization in 5 wt % H₃PO₄/EGelectrolyte at 42 Volts for one hour to enhance its mechanicalstability.

A metal loaded Am-NTA (M/Am-NTA) electrode may be prepared by dipping anAm-NTA electrode into a coating solution one or more times (box 45). Forexample, the Am-NTA electrode may be dipped in a coating solution forabout one minute, pulled up at a rate of 10 mm/minute, and then dried atroom temperature for about two minutes. The foregoing dipping proceduremay be repeated two or more times to vary the loading. For example, thedipping procedure may be repeated three times. Other procedures may beused to metal load the Am-NTA, such as atomic layer deposition and/orelectrodeposition. Any suitable metal may be used for loading and dopingthe Am-NTA electrode, for example, cobalt, iron, nickel, manganese,cerium, vanadium, lead, tin, any of the noble metals, such as Pt, Ir, Auor Ag, any combination of the foregoing, or the like.

The coating solution may be prepared by dissolving a metal nitrate saltin ethanol. Example metal nitrate salts may include Co(NO₃)₂, Fe(NO₃)₃,Ni(NO₃)₂, Mn(NO₃)₂, and Ce(NO₃)₂. The concentration of the metal coatingsolution may be 250 mM.

For some embodiments of the NTA electrode, a cobalt loaded Am-NTA(Co/Am-NTA) electrode may be prepared by dipping an Am-NTA electrodeinto 250 mM Co(NO₃)₂/ethanol solution. For example, the Am-NTA may bedipped into the coating solution for one minute, pulled up at the rateof 10 mm/minute, and finally dried at room temperature for two minutes.The dip-coating process may be repeated three times. This process mayresult in a Co loading of the NTA of about 0.54±0.12 μmol/cm², asdetermined by ICP-MS (Agilent 8800), forming a Co-black NTA electrode.

The amount of metal included in the metal-doped nanotube array may betuned to a predetermined amount based on the application of theelectrode. Any suitable metal loading amount may be used, such as <5μmol/cm² of the effective area of the NTA. For example, lowering theCo(NO₃)₂ concentration in the dip-coating solution to 50 or 25 mM andfollowing the above three-dip procedure produces different embodimentsof the Co-black NTA electrode, with Co loadings of 0.25 and 0.17μmol/cm₂, respectively, referred to herein as Co(0.25)-black NTA andCo(0.17)-black NTA, respectively.

A metal-doped black NTA (M-black NTA) electrode may be obtained byannealing the M/Am-NTA electrode in a stream of 5% H₂/Ar at 450° C. for30 min and then naturally cooling down to room temperature.

For example, a cobalt-doped black NTA (Co-black) electrode may beobtained by annealing a Co/Am-NTA electrode in a stream of 5% H₂/Ar at450° C. for 30 min and then naturally cooling it down to roomtemperature (box 47).

A black NTA electrode may be obtained by annealing an Am-NTA electrodein a stream of 5% H₂/Ar at 450° C. for 30 min and then naturally coolingit down to room temperature (box 48).

Annealing a Co/Am-NTA electrode in air at 450° C. for one hour yields aCo-NTA electrode (box 46).

Annealing an Am-NTA electrode in air at 450° C. for one hour yields anNTA electrode (box 43). A blue NTA electrode may be prepared by applyinga cathodic current of 5 mA cm⁻² on the NTA electrode for ten minutes ina 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer solution (KPi) (box 44).

The thermally-treated NTA electrodes, including the Co-black NTA, may bein the anatase phase with a preferential exposure of (101) planes.

FIG. 5 is a schematic conceptual cross-sectional view showing electronflow through an exemplary Co-black nanotube 34, which may be included inany of the NTA electrodes 14, 19 of FIGS. 1-3. The nanotube 34 is formedof one or more walls 36 protruding from substrate 35. The tube walls 26form a hollow interior section 37. The walls 36 can be Co-black TiO₂formed on the substrate 35, as disclosed herein. The substrate 35 may bea valve metal, such as Ti.

As shown in FIG. 5, during anodic operation, electron flow proceeds fromthe aqueous medium down the Co-black TiO₂ walls 36 of each nanotube 34of an array into the substrate 35. Bulk oxygen vacancies (O_(v)) are theprimary source of the enhanced conductivity of Co-black NTA.

Conductive NTAs supported on titanium plates, consisting of a multitudeof nanotubes, such as nanotube 34, have an advantage over particulateelectrocatalysts, since they can be utilized directly as electrodeswithout the need for additional adhesive substrates or organic binders.However, deactivation of both blue and black NTAs have been observedafter a few hours of electrocatalysis due to the surface passivation.

To overcome this problem, doping trace amounts of a metal, such ascobalt, onto a black TiO₂ NTA (Co-black NTA) dramatically increaseselectrode stability. It also provides further advantage by lowering ofthe OER overpotential. Generally, in Co-black NTAs CoO_(x) isimmobilized and stable on the black NTAs even at circum-neutral pH.Cobalt doping of black TiO₂ NTA significantly extends the lifetime ofblack NTA electrodes via tuning of the concentration and stability ofsurficial oxygen vacancies. Cobalt doping of black TiO₂ NTA may bothcreate and stabilize surficial O_(v), preventing surface passivation.

Enhanced stability was observed for the disclosed Co-black NTAelectrode. Under comparative testing, the Co-black NTA electrode had anoperational life of over 200 hours. Previously reported operationallifetimes of some conductive NTA electrodes were less than three hours.

Testing also demonstrated that the disclosed Co-black NTA electrodeshave higher OER activity due to their lower onset potentials and highercurrent densities than known anodes. Co-black NTA electrodes with Coloading of about 0.54 μmol/cm² exhibit 200 times higher current densitycompared with Co—TiO₂ film electrodes at 2.3 V_(RHE). This finding showsthe improvement provided by a conductive NTA substrate over the OERactivity of a Co—TiO₂ electrode.

The improvement in OER provided by the Co-black NTA electrode is aresult of the cobalt doping. Catalytic activity, such as OER, isdetermined by the number of active sites. Surficial O_(v) is generallyconsidered as an active site for OER. It exposes unsaturated metal ions,which in turn, lead to the adsorption and dissociation of H₂O. Cobaltdoping of the black NTA reduces the level of surficial Ti⁴⁺ in Co-blackNTA to a lower valence state, and thus, creates more surficial O_(v)(about 25% more).

Further testing demonstrated that certain disclosed Co-black NTAelectrodes outperformed IrO₂-based dimensionally stable anode (DSA) foroxidative electrochemical wastewater treatment. For example, theincrease of Co loading may form a CoO_(x) film on top of a Co-black NTAsubstrate. The resultant CoO_(x)/Co-black composite electrode (Co*-blackNTA and Co**-black NTA electrodes, described herein below) exhibit highOER activity (e.g., overpotential of 352 mV vs. 434 mV for IrO₂ DSA) andstability (>200 operational hours) in 1 M KOH electrolyte at 10 mA/cm².

FIG. 6 is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the top surface50 of an exemplary Co-amorphous (Co—Am) NTA produced from a processdepicted by FIG. 4. As shown, a plurality of nanotubes 52 are formedadjacent to one another with cobalt rich areas 54.

FIG. 7 is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the top surface100 of an exemplary Co-black NTA electrode resulting from a processdepicted by FIG. 4. As shown, a plurality of nanotubes 102 are formedadjacent to one another with cobalt rich areas 104.

FIG. 8 is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) perspective image of anexemplary Co-black NTA 150 resulting from a process depicted by FIG. 4and includable in the Co-black NTA electrodes disclosed herein. TheCo-black NTA 150 includes a multitude of nanotubes 152, each having atubular wall and hollow center.

FIGS. 9A-B are graphs comparing experimental results of wastewatertreatment using a disclosed Co-black NTA electrode and prior electrodes.The graphs compare the performance of a commercially-available IrO₂dimensionally stable anode (C-DSA), a laboratory-made IrO₂ dimensionalstable anode (DSA), and a disclosed Co-black NTA anode. FIG. 9A showsthe decay of NH₄ ⁺ as a function of electrolysis time, and FIG. 9B showsthe decay of chemical oxygen demand (COD) as a function of electrolysistime.

To obtain these experimental results, a Co-black NTA anode was appliedfor the treatment of latrine wastewater that was collected on theCaltech campus in a prototype solar toilet system. Chloride (40 mM) thatoriginated from human waste (i.e., urine) is oxidized to chlorine (e.g.,HOCl, ClO⁻). Hypochlorus acid, HOCl, reacts with ammonia (NH₃/NH₄ ⁺) toform chloramines (e.g., NH₂Cl, NHCl₂), which in turn undergo aself-reaction leading to denitrification with the off-gassing of N₂leading eventually to breakpoint chlorination. The Co-black anodeoutperformed the IrO₂ DSA due to its higher CER activity (FIG. 10A).Although the C-DSA had higher CER, it exhibited inferior NH₄ ⁺ removalperformance than Co-black NTA anode. This may be because the Co-blackNTA anode is more active for the removal of organics, which compete withNH₄ ⁺ to react with chlorine. Both chlorine and .OH contribute to theremoval of organic pollutants (indexed in terms of chemical oxygendemand, COD). As shown, the COD removal capability of the Co-black anodeis superior to that of IrO₂ DSA and C-DSA (FIG. 9B). The effluent aftereight hours of treatment was clear in appearance and suitable fornon-potable water reuse.

FIGS. 10A-C are graphs of example experimental results comparing certainradical species generation during electrolysis using disclosed Co-blackNTA anodes and prior anodes. FIG. 10A shows a comparison of the chlorineevolution rate in 30 mM NaCl of certain anodes. FIG. 10A shows acomparison of hydroxyl radical production measured by electrochemicaloxidation of benzoic acid for a Co-black NTA anode, a Co(0.17)-black NTAanode, and an IrO₂ anode. FIG. 10c shows a comparison of the directoxidation efficiency measured by electrochemical oxidation of oxalateion for a Co-black NTA anode, a Co(0.17)-black NTA anode, and an IrO₂anode. A constant current of 10 mA cm⁻² was applied to each of theanodes in each of the above tests.

Regarding FIG. 10B, hydroxyl radical can be generated during waterelectrolysis. Benzoic acid (BA) was selected as a radical probe compound(r._(OH)=5.90×10⁹ M⁻¹ s⁻¹). Faster degradation kinetics observed for theCo-black NTA anode compared to IrO₂ anode indicates the Co-black anodehas a higher activity toward .OH generation than the IrO₂ anode. Thedirect electron transfer (DET) mechanism may also contribute to theoxidation of organic compounds. Regarding FIG. 10C, the oxalate ion wasselected to investigate the DET activity, as it is known to be reactivevia DET due to surface complex formation, but at the same time, oxalatereacts slowly with .OH (r._(OH)=1.4×10⁶ M⁻¹ s⁻¹) compared to typicalhydroxyl radical second-order rate constants. FIG. 10C indicates thatthe Co-black anode shows higher DET activity than the corresponding IrO₂electrode. As shown in the graphs of FIGS. 10A-C, the Co(0.17)-Black NTAelectrode shows comparable activity with Co-black NTA electrode withregard to chlorine evolution, radical production, and DET reaction.

Additional embodiments of the disclosed electrodes include a Co*-blackNTA electrode and a Co**-black NTA electrode. These electrodes havehigher OER activity compared to the Co-black NTA electrode.

The Co*-black NTA and Co**-black NTA electrodes can each be made byincreasing the Co loading of a Co-black NTA electrode to form a CoO_(x)film on top of the NTA. To make a Co*-black NTA electrode, aCo(NO₃)₂/ethanol solution may be drop-cast onto a Co-black NTAelectrode. The electrode is then reduced in 5% H₂/Ar at 450° C. for 30minutes. During annealing, a discrete film layer of amorphous CoO_(x) isformed on top of the Co-black NTA. The CoO_(x) film may have a highervalence (3+/2+) than that of Co-black NTA (2+) due to the absence ofCo—TiO₂ interaction. The Co*-Black composite NTA electrode with Coloading of 2.1 μmol cm⁻² may have an OER overpotential of 360 and 434mV, respectively, at 1.0 and 10 mA cm⁻² constant current in 1 M KOH.

The Co**-black NTA electrode is made following the same steps as makingthe Co*-black NTA electrode, but increasing the Co loading to 4.2 μmolcm⁻². The Co**-black NTA electrode may have greater OER activity; thiselectrode may have an overpotential of 289 and 352 mV at 1.0 and 10 mAcm⁻² constant current, respectively, in 1 M KOH. The performance of theCo**-Black NTA electrode is not only higher than IrO₂ DSA, C-DSA, andCo(OH)_(x)/Ti, but also superior to the reported activities of abenchmarking Co(OH)_(x)/GC (400 mV at 10 mA cm⁻²), Co₃O₄ nanowires (320mV at 1 mA cm⁻²), Co₃O₄ nanosheets (390 mV at 10 mA cm⁻²), and Co@Co₃O₄nanoparticles (420 mV at 10 mA cm⁻²).

A higher OER activity may be achieved by doping Ni and Fe into theCoO_(x) film of the Co*-black NTA and Co**-black NTA electrodes.

The higher OER activity of Co**-black NTA electrode may be attributed totwo primary factors. First, more OER active sites are created by theCoO_(x) film. A double-layer capacitance may be formed, which isproportional to the electrochemically active surface area (ECSA),increases in the order of Co-black (7.5)<Co*-black (12.4)<Co**-black(21.4 mF cm⁻²). A Co**-black NTA electrode with 6 cm² geometric area hasa large ECSA of 3210 cm², giving a roughness factor of 535. Co**-blackNTA has higher O_(v) concentration (32%) than Co-black NTA (25%). Theoxygen vacancies of CoO_(x) are surrounded by Co ions (Co—O_(v)—Co),which may be intrinsically more OER active than the Co—O_(v)—Ti andTi—O_(v)—Ti sites of Co-black NTA. Secondly, the anti-passivationfunctionality of Co-black facilitates charge transport from the CoO_(x)film to Co-black NTA, then to the underneath Ti metal support. ACo**-black NTA electrode was tested to be stable for more than 200 hoursin 1.0 M KOH at 10 mA cm⁻². In both the Co*-black NTA and Co**-black NTAelectrodes, the presence of Co-black NTA as an interlayer may preventthe passivation of the catalyst/Ti interface, thus dramaticallyimproving the stability of the electrodes.

The disclosed electrodes may be employed in solar powered toilets andwaste treatment systems, for example, those disclosed in U.S. PublishedPatent Application 2014/0209479, which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety. For example, the source 38 of FIG. 1 herein maybe a photovoltaic source. And the electrolysis can be done on humanwaste, such as the electrolysis of urine depicted in FIG. 17C of U.S.Published Patent Application 2014/0209479.

The foregoing description is illustrative and not restrictive. Althoughcertain exemplary embodiments have been described, other embodiments,combinations and modifications involving the invention will occurreadily to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the foregoingteachings. Therefore, this invention is to be limited only by thefollowing claims, which cover at least some of the disclosedembodiments, as well as all other such embodiments and modificationswhen viewed in conjunction with the above specification and accompanyingdrawings.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electrolysis electrode, comprising: asubstrate; and cobalt-doped black TiO₂ nanotube array contacting thesubstrate.
 2. The electrode of claim 1, further comprising a metal oxidefilm on top of the nanotube array.
 3. The electrode of claim 1, whereinthe cobalt included in the cobalt-doped black TiO₂ nanotube array has aloading of less than 5 μmol/cm².
 4. The electrode of claim 3, whereinthe cobalt included in the cobalt-doped black TiO₂ nanotube array has aloading between about 0.17 μmol/cm² and 0.54 μmol/cm².
 5. The electrodeof claim 1, wherein the amount of cobalt included in the cobalt-dopedblack TiO₂ nanotube array is tuned to a predetermined amount based onthe application of the electrode.
 6. The electrode of claim 1, whereinthe substrate includes titanium.
 7. A water processing system,comprising: the electrode of claim 1, configured to be, at least inpart, in direct contact with water.
 8. The system of claim 7, furthercomprising a second electrode.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein thesecond electrode includes a second substrate, and a metal-doped nanotubearray contacting the second substrate.
 10. The system of claim 7,further comprising: a voltage source connected to the electrode and asecond electrode configured to contact the water; wherein the voltagesource is configured to switch polarity at a predetermined frequency sothat the electrode operates as either an anode or a cathode based on thepolarity of the voltage source.
 11. The system of claim 7, wherein thesubstrate includes titanium.